EPA Issues Final Landfill Methane Emissions Rules

The EPA today released final standards for new and modified municipal solid waste landfills and emission guidelines for existing landfills.

Under the final rules, new, modified and existing landfills will begin capturing and controlling landfill gas emissions at levels that are one-third lower than current requirements, updating 20-year-old standards for existing landfills.

The EPA expects the final rules to reduce methane emissions by about 334,000 tons a year beginning in 2025. The agency puts the climate benefits of the combined rules at $512 million in 2025 or more than $8 for every dollar spent to comply.